Butternut Squash Pasta with Bacon

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place prepared squash on one side of the pan. Drizzle olive oil over the squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread squash into a single layer. Spray the other half of the baking sheet with cooking spray and place bacon in a single layer. Place pan in the oven and allow to cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until bacon is browned and crispy.

Once the bacon is browned, remove bacon from the oven and place on a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Add garlic cloves to the sheet pan and continue to cook until squash is soft, another 10 to 15 minutes.

Once placing the baking sheet back in the oven, begin boiling water for the linguine. Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain noodles once cooked and place noodles back in the empty pot they were boiled in.

Remove pan from the oven when the squash is soft and move squash and garlic into a bowl to blend until smooth. Slowly add milk into sauce, blending to combine. Stir in salt and pepper and set aside.

Pour sauce over reserved noodles and add spinach leaves. Turn heat on stove to low and cover the pot. Cook just until spinach leaves have wilted. While spinach wilts, crumble prepared bacon.

To assemble the dish, place noodles on the serving dish. Top with crumbled bacon and pine nuts, if desired. Serve immediately.